


Smile

by Caesar_salad



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Bar fights, Drunk Aaron, Fire, Fun Alex, Gift Exchange, I hope you like it, I'm really bad at tags, M/M, laughing, shots
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-01
Updated: 2017-07-01
Packaged: 2018-11-21 21:18:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11365818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caesar_salad/pseuds/Caesar_salad
Summary: When Aaron found the control to come to his senses, he turned to Alex who had a knowing amused smile on his face. ''You know, for someone who gives out advice about smiling this is the first time I’ve seen you actually smile"aka.Work obsessed Aaron has some fun with the help of booze and Alex





	Smile

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LimpBlotter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LimpBlotter/gifts).



> Hey!! Happy fic exchange! This is my first time writing a fic. It's not exactly fluff, but it has a happy ending. I hope you like it :)

 Mornings were sacred to Aaron, not that he liked them. Who the hell liked mornings? But there was always something about the way the soft light of the rising sun shone through his window pane, the warmth alone waking him from his sleep.  
It was those few moments of silence, as the sun took it’s time to rise, that he cherished. The city was still asleep, only the soothing sound of birds chirping could be heard. No loud honks or people talking, and in that moment he could play the dangerous game of lying with his eyes closed praying the last few urges of slumber away.

The window where the sun shone in his room was small but nothing short of miraculous. This moment was what Aaron lived for. He worked and worked and worked, and it was all worth it for those few minutes. He could get through a long day of the blood sport they called the business world if he could wake up to this moment. An experience so serene, like the whole world signed a silence pact, and Aaron reveled in -

**_Thump_ **

Aaron let out a grunt as he jolted his head to look up at his bedroom ceiling, another dull thud followed suit. Aaron scowled as the blasphemous noises infected the air. He cursed to himself again; his sanctuary was ruined.

Aaron Burr was a man that could take a lot; he had fought tooth and nail to be top of his class at Princeton. He had worked even harder to secure his job, but this he could not take.

It had been 2 weeks since the thumps started. He would have gone up to confront the noisy upstairs neighbor if he hadn't feared it would end in some type of heated argument. There was no use in having an enemy in his own building, there was enough everywhere else in the world.  
Whoever the noise maker was had stolen more than just serenity from him; without those precious moments, there was an opening, an emptiness in Aaron. He had nothing to look forward to, just more work.

It’s not like he got any favors in that department either as he straggled in, coffee in hand. Before he could even make it to his office, he was stopped by a snickering Charles Lee. Burr had never liked him much, he had always reminded him of a guy who had peaked in high school and devoted his life to mimicking whatever childish ways had gained him notoriety back then.

“Guess what day it is?” Lee chortled with enthusiasm that didn't quite fit the atmosphere, and Aaron knew right then that he was going to be dumped with some remedial task that had been passed along to him, Aaron internally groaned.

He counted on work to fill that emptiness and without a fulfilling day of work, he was depleted. Burr dug hard and deep and somehow found the strength inside to pull out a smile, one that didn't quite meet the eye, but a smile all the same. No more. No less.

“It’s train the new guy day, at least it is for you, ” Lee laughed, pushing a file into Aaron’s chest before punching him on the shoulder and stomping off to bother someone else.

Aaron fought the urge to roll his eyes and just kept that same smile on his face as he walked to his office. That’s all he could manage for today.  
When he got to his office, he was greeted with a grin, one he didn't recognize, and registered it as the new guy.

“You must be Aaron Burr?”

“And you must be…” He hadn't even had a moment to review the file.

“Hamilton,” the guy filled in, “Alexander Hamilton”

“Nice to meet you, come in. Take a seat I’ll show you the ropes in a second,” Burr said opening his office door. They both poured into the small room, Burr sat at his desk getting situated as the man walked around the room, taking it in.

“Did you just get this office?” Hamilton asked.

“No, why?”

“Oh, it just seems a little barren usually people have pictures up and stuff,”

Aaron looked up from his desk; he didn't really know how to respond. The room was barren; his degree from Princeton hung on the wall, but other than that just work papers and files served as decoration. That’s all he really had to show for his life. Aaron cut the thought short not liking how deep it had gotten in so short of a time.

So, he did what he always did when a response wasn't in his best interest. He feigned a smile, one that Hamilton took as a cue to keep speaking.

“This doesn't feel real,” Hamilton said excitedly, finally sitting in the chair across from Aaron, “this is my dream job, what I worked for. This is it”

“Well, congratulations," Aaron offered, and hoped it didn't come off condescending, he had remembered a time when this was all he ever dreamed of and now Aaron didn’t even know how to dream anymore.

“Do you have any advice, Any tips or tricks for a newbie like me?”

“Oh, just smile."

* * *

  
It had been a pretty uneventful day as far as work was concerned, but there was something about his trainee that just lingered in Aaron’s mind. Hamilton was so ambitious, so eager to learn, even when Burr was teaching him the boring tasks there was a spark, a hunger, in him. Aaron yearned to feel that way again.

As if a thought had summoned the man, a knock on Aaron's office door frame lifted him out of his thoughts, Alexander poked his head inside.

“Hey,"

“What's up?”

“I don’t know if you’re busy, but a few of my friends and I were going to meet up after work to celebrate my first day?”

“And you want me there?..” Aaron asked, trying to hide the surprise in his voice, which earned a laugh from Alex, who pushed his hand through his dark hair.

“Yeah, you're my first work friend, and a little fun never hurt anyone”

“I’ll think about it, I just have a few more things to do”

“Ok, let me know,” and like that Alex was gone.  
  
To anyone who knew Aaron, _I’ll think about it_ was his long-winded way of saying no, but something strange happened over the next thirty minutes, he actually did think about it.  

It was rare, and even Aaron was in shock as he found himself considering it. There was something about Hamilton. Something about his ambition, the way he was full of life. The way he reminded Aaron of what he once was that made him just want to be in his presence and just soak it all in.

What’s the worst that could happen? He could actually have fun?

Then again, he could just go home, back to the silence of his apartment, but all of a sudden that silence didn't seem so appealing.

Aaron packed his things to leave and headed toward the elevator. Hamilton’s office light was off, He had already left. Aaron ignored the drop in his chest and told himself the feeling was just relief. Until he got to the elevator and saw the dark haired man waiting.

“Does that offer still stand?”

A smile broke out across Hamilton’s face, “Of course.”

* * *

They pulled up in an Uber to a small bar on a side street, and if Aaron hadn't already known they were going to a bar he might have mistaken it for some long ago condemned store. Doubt started to creep into Aaron's mind, maybe it would be better to go home.

Before the doubt could sink its claws into Aaron, Alex opened the car door and pulled at his suit sleeve.

The outside was an exact representation of the inside, filled with old cracked vinyl booths and almost everything looked like it had a film of dust around it. Aaron swore he saw a rat scatter against the wall.  
Almost out of place, was a group of three sitting in the corner booth looking more comfortable in the seats than anyone should. They all had that look about them, same as Alex: excited even when there was nothing, in particular, to be excited about, ready and eager to take whatever life threw at them.

Alex walked up to the booth and Aaron followed. Whatever conversation the men were having stopped and all attention was turned to Alex as he was greeted with chants and yells. Alex smiled, taking in the mocking praise and giving them a bow that only made them cheer harder.

“There goes our working man,” a guy with a face full of freckles and curly hair called out.

“Mon petit, you must tell us what is like to have a steady paycheck!” Joked the other at the table a thick French accent holding onto every word.

“Who's your friend?” the 3rd a guy in a skullcap asked.

“Oh, this is Burr,” Alex said, gesturing to him, and suddenly, like that, all the attention was pointed at him.

“Burr,” The French one repeated with some consideration.

“You can call me Aaron, only people at work call me Burr”

“Well, Aaron,” the guy said flamboyantly, “I’m Lafayette, This is John,” he said, gesturing to the freckle-faced man, “ And that is Herc.”

“Nice to meet you all,”

“Hopefully we can say the same!” John joked. Aaron took a seat in the booth and prayed he didn't catch a disease from it.

“So! How’s Mon Petit Chou doing so far?”

“Probably terrible” Herc chimed. The table laughed, and Alex rolled his eyes.

This was nice, Aaron admitted to himself no matter how dingy the place was, just to be out to be near people having fun, to actually sort of have fun, was nice, refreshing even.

A few laughs later and halfway through a story John was telling about a rally he went to in Philadelphia, Alex leaned over to Aaron.

“See, this isn't so bad.”

“I never said it wa-”

“SHOTS!” everyone at the table rang out, Aaron hadn’t recalled anyone even ordering them. A bartender came with a tray full of small glasses filled to the brim, that sloshed as the man sat them down on the table. Aaron eyeballed the glasses. If he gave a ballpark estimate, he would say at least 20 shots were on the tray.

Why in the hell would anyone need 20 shots? 

“Don’t look so afraid,” John assured, noticing Aaron eyeballing the shots, “I take you're not much of a drinker?"

“No, not really,”

“Do not worry we will change that!” Lafayette declared before downing 2 of the shots. Aaron turned to Alex, who was gathering his share of shots off the tray.

“It’s the way we celebrate,” Alex said, laughing with a shrug, he reached for the shot glass full of clear liquid first, “One shot of vodka,” He reached for the next glass, “another of tequila,” he reached for two more shots, “a shot of gin,a shot of bourbon” He chased each drink down with the other  shuttering a little at the taste, “and then we’re off!”

“Off?”

“You didn't think we were going to stay in this dump?” John laughed.

“We just come here to get drunk before we go out, the booze here is dirt cheap,” Hercules added.

Aaron looked at the tray; there were only 4 little glasses left with his name on it, and when he looked up, he found the rest of the group staring at him. It was an odd pressure. Their eyes not asking if he was going to take the shots, but when, so that they could get on with the night. 

Aaron felt his hand reach for the glass before he could even think about what he was doing. Before he could stop himself, he pushed the cold rim of the glass to his lips and let the warm bitter liquid hit his tongue.

* * *

Their next stop was the complete opposite of the last bar, Some Hip twenty-something bar with a line that stretched around the block. Aaron could feel the warmth in his chest growing, the shots starting to settle into his system. It’s probably why he followed the group without question to the back of the building to a filthy alley lined with dumpsters. 

Aaron thought he was starting to recognize a theme when a door popped open and a guy in a black tank top stuck his head out. John ran ahead of the group, like a lovestruck teenager and into the man’s arms greeting him with a sloppy kiss.Aaron turned to Alex giving him a raised eyebrow.

“Oh, John just gets like that when he’s drunk,"

“No, who's the guy?”

“That’s the bartender John’s fucking, he lets us in the back for free,” Alex said nonchalantly as they both walked through the door.

The first thing that hit Aaron as he walked in was the sound; the bass of the music pulsed through the place. He could feel the booming vibrations of the music through the floor. The second was the hot sticky humidity of the place. It was jammed packed and the heat generated from countless bodies grinding on the dance floor didn't help the cause.Aaron would usually hate this, the crowd the deafening music, the air so thick he could barely breathe, but as the shots sank in he found himself moving to the beat.

Alex smiled, grabbing Aaron's hand and dragging him onto the dance floor. Something about Alex’s hand on his was soft and comforting but also electrifying as he let himself be pulled by the man. There were barely centimeters between people on the dance floor, and as one guy turned to leave, he bumped Aaron spilling his drink all over his work suit jacket.

The guy apologized, but Aaron couldn't hear and he didn't really care, everything was nice and all the edges were fuzzy.  
He looked down at the stain on his shirt and laughed, he didn't know why he thought it was funny, but he had the irresistible urge to laugh.  
Alex done dragging them to the middle of the dance floor turned around and noticed the stain.

“Oh no! What happened?” He yelled over the music, it wasn't a question of worry, it was almost dismissive. Not as if it was an expensive suit jacket that had just been ruined, but something more menial as if Aaron had just complained about getting a Boo Boo.

Alex was already swaying his hips, and Aaron was still laughing. Aaron moved to the music too and leaned in closer so his lips were pressed to Alex's ear.

“Someone spilled their drink on me," He giggled as though it was the funniest thing he had ever said, and Alex laughed along seemingly in on the joke. Aaron laughed and danced, and laughed and danced until, all of a sudden, the heat of the room caught up to him and the stain on his chest began to feel sticky.

Aaron peeled off his jacket as he swayed to the music with Alex, paying no mind to where it landed. They were millimeters apart, moving to the Rhythm, suddenly Aaron's tie felt as though it was suffocating him and he removed it placing it wherever on the floor his jacket had fallen to.

He looked up to see Alex again, but something was different, or maybe he was exactly the same as before and Aaron was just now taking notice. But something about the way Alex moved was intoxicating. Everything he was doing from the way his body moved, to the way he sang along to the song. It was carefree. It pulled Aaron in. It made Aaron want to be like Alex was on the dance floor, reckless and beautiful.

So Aaron let himself be, he pushed himself against Alexander and let his thoughts melt away until all he could see was the man. The glint in his dark eyes, the sweat starting to bead on his brow, the way he smiled up at Aaron when he noticed he had been staring.

The only thing Burr could see now was Alexander, and the way his soft pink lips kept inching closer and closer to his.  
A yell pierced through the loud music, snapping both Aaron and Alex out of their trance.

“Shit! That was John!” Alex began pushing his way through the towering crowd and Aaron followed.

They finally made it to the source of the yell, John and some burly guy going fisticuffs. They both were bleeding, John from his nose, the other man from a busted lip.

“John stop!” Alex yelled over the music trying to pry John off the man, but it didn't help; John was locked in on the man like a pit bull.

Aaron stood back taking a moment to process what was happening. A crowd gathered around the fight. Lafayette and Herc busted through the group of bystanders, grabbing and pulling Aaron toward the action. The two men were still at blows even as Lafayette started to pry a still swinging John off of his sparring mate. Aaron followed as the rest of the group gathered around John still spitting blood and screaming insults at the other man. The damage was minimal for as nasty of a fight as it had looked, and Aaron peered over to see just what casualties the other guy had acquired, But he didn’t find the man tending to his wounds.

He was charging over with his eyes locked on John, and revenge was surely the only thing on the man's mind. The guy was so fast and Aaron’ s mind was moving in slow motion. He only tried to stop the man when he already had his arm wound up to strike the freckled boy.

“Hey!” Aaron shouted at the guy blocking his path to John, but it was too late, the arm was already swinging.

A sharp pain ripped through Aaron's right temple and a ringing filled his head as he felt hard knuckles slam against his cheek. The man pushed Aaron to the side as he locked back onto his target, John.  
The ringing was still pounding in Burr's ear, but the words “FIRE” rang out louder as the music stopped, and everyone's head snapped up to see smoke forming on the other side of the room

“That's our cue to go,” Alex said, grabbing Aaron by the hand and running toward the door with the rest of the crowd.

* * *

 The brisk night air felt great against his skin, the club was hot and suffocating, close. warm.  familiar. But the way the cold breeze stung against his skin felt freeing, and let him know just how alive he was.

“You glad you came?” Alex asked, walking next to a staggering Aaron.

“I got into a fight, and the club caught on fire,”

“Please, you were barely in a fight,” Alex pointed out with a laugh.

“I got punched in the face, I consider that a fight,” Aaron slurred his words a little, the warm feeling was gone, but the alcohol was still in effect. Aaron could feel himself losing control of his speech, his inhibitions being released. He touched the swollen tissue on his face and winced. That was definitely going to turn into a black eye, but for some reason, he didn't seem to mind, “Do you think your friends are ok?”

“I'm sure they're fine,” Alex said, stopping at the fountain in the middle of the park they were walking through. They had left in such a hurry and the crowd had pushed them away from the trio of friends, “You never answered my question, Are you glad you came?”

Aaron paused for a moment, He thought back to how his day had begun, alone, numb to what life had to offer and compared it to now. Sure, all he had done was get drunk, get punched, and danced, but he just felt so alive. Maybe it was the stinging on his temple, the cold air hitting his skin, the alcohol in his system, the memory of the way he felt on the dance floor, or the way Alex was looking up at him with eager eyes waiting for a response.

Aaron nodded, a smile spreading on his face as he did, “Yeah, I’m glad I came”, and suddenly Aaron was laughing. He wasn't sure why, as he sat on the edge of a fountain in the middle of a park at 2 am.

It was the kind of laughter that started internally from somewhere deep in his chest and worked its way outward taking over his whole body.  He couldn't stop laughing, he didn't want to. He had spent his week praying for silence and this whole night was the opposite.

When Aaron found the control to come to his senses, he turned to Alex, who had a knowing amused smile on his face, “You know, for someone who gives out advice about smiling this is the first time I’ve seen you actually smile”

Alex placed his hand over Aarons. There was a warm fondness, but also that same electricity Aaron had felt when Alex grabbed his hand and dragged him on the dance floor. Almost like Deja Vu, Aaron swore he saw that same glint in his eye from the club, all that hunger that was usually directed toward the world now directed at him, overwhelming, but welcomed, all the same. Aaron couldn't take his eyes off him.

Who leaned in was a mystery, but all Aaron could feel was Alex’s soft lips on his. Alex kissed like a contradiction, subdued but hungry, soft but aggressive. It was electrifying all the same to Aaron as he tasted the alcohol on the other man’s lips. Aaron pulled back, letting the cool air hit his wet lips.

Aaron felt a smile break onto his face and the laugh start to regenerate within him, and before he knew he was in full blown laughter.

“Ok, it’s time to get you home, ” Alex said shaking his head amusingly.

Aaron froze for a second patting his empty pockets. He busted out laughing again.

“What’s so funny this time?”

“My keys were in my jacket,” Aaron choked out between giggles.

* * *

Aaron woke up to a full blast of sunlight shining through his window, and the bustling noise of the city. He laid there trying to piece together memories of last night. He remembered the heat of the dance floor, the gleam in Alex’s eyes,  the way Alex’s lips tasted like cheap bourbon, and the brisk wind against his skin. He remembered the way all of those things made him feel alive and whole. Then he felt the sharp pain of his swollen eye, and all the memories pieced together. 

Most of all he remembered laughing hysterically, his cheeks still ached from his laughing fit. A loud honking noise gave way to a sharp ringing in Aaron’s head the effects of drinking taking its toll. 

Aaron had definitely missed his few moments silence, but he didn't care. He had felt a different kind of fullness, going out last night. He had pleaded for silence and he had done the exact opposite and had never felt more alive, and for that, he laughed.

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you liked it.  
> Thanks for reading :)))  
> If you ever want to bother me on Tumblr  
> URL: Shooturshot.tumblr.com


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